By
Bryce Williamson
Joe
Ghio has been hybridizing irises for more than 50 years and is the proprietor
of Bay View Gardens in Santa Cruz. While he has dabbled in other types of
irises including Spurias and Louisianas, he is best known for his work with
tall bearded and Pacific Coast Native irises. This spring I was able to not
only visit the home garden—spread over a vacant lot and the backyards of the
two house next to his house—but also the “farm” at Freedom, California. While
part of the farm is rented out to a blackberry grower, Joe does have long rows
of irises and seedling there.
Joe
was already an established hybridizer of tall bearded irises when he decided to
breed Pacific Coast Natives. His foundation irises included seed and species
collected in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In the early days when Joe first started
working with PCN’s, the flower had thin petals. If I had scheduled a visit
to see them and it rained or Santa Cruz had high winds, I would have to
reschedule since the flowers would be tattered. Not any longer the case—although still
diploids, Joe has made major strides forward in flower durability and his
recent hybrids hold up in wind and rain.
And
the other amazing thing is the array of colors today. He has plicatas,
bicolors, various lined flowers, and flowers with a contrasting eye at the
heart of the flowers. The soft yellow and blue combinations are especially
interesting. With this work, Joe has revitalized the interest in this group of
irises. Sadly for many who will read this blog, the growing area for these
lovely creations is limited.
Two
Northern California hybridizers in the last 50 years have had a major impact on
flower form. I have written in the past about Joe Gatty’s lovely creations and
Joe’s huge, flower form changing work has been with “bubble ruffling.” Gone are
the plain, tailored flowers of yester year and in are flowers with deeply
ruffling and fluting. Joe’s bubble ruffled flowers forced all other tall
bearded hybridizers to work ruffling into their creations.
Joe
did win the Dykes Memorial Medal with ‘Mystique’, but I think judges missed
another one of his early creations—‘Lady Friend’. I put it on the short list of
irises that should have won the Dykes. It is an enduring creation that
continues to be very popular today and one of those unique colors that has not
been duplicated.
The
following images are of some of Joe’s more recent creations.
Any
one interesting in buying from Bay View Gardens can send $3.00 for a color
catalogue to 1201 Bay Street, Santa Cruz, California 95060. Joe ships bearded
irises in July and August and PCN’s in late October or November.
Editor’s
note: This is the second part of my ‘On the Road Again’ blogs. The pervious one
was about Nola’s iris garden and next in line will be Fleur de Lis at Modesto,
California.
